Rail-splice.



ISAAC N. DIMM, 0F PORT ROYAL, PEN,NSYLVANIA.

RAIL-SPLICE.

T0 all whomy t may concern:

Be it known that 1, ISAAC N. DIMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Royal, in the county of Juniata and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful improvements in Rail-Splices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the construction of railway rails and more particularly to rails having their ends arranged for interlocking engagement, whereby such rails may be connected and effectively retained in registering alinement without the employment of fish plates or analogous securing means.

A further object of the invention is to construct a railway rail having its opposite ends enlarged, and each of said ends having one of its sides cut away longitudinally to provide an extending portion, one of the reduced formed with a projection or tongue, the second end having its side or face provided .with a longitudinally extending groove or recess, and the tongue upon oneof the rail ends being adapted to be received within the groove of the adjacent rail end to provide a oint between two of the rails.

A still further object of the invention is to provide two rails having interengaging ends and to arrange between the said ends anti-friction members to assist in the movement of the rails incident to the expansion or contraction thereof and so prevent buckling or breakage of the rails at the joint frequently occasioned from their inability to expand or contract when under pressure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a joint between two rails which have interengaging ends and means for connecting the ends, and to so arrange the connecting means that the same will be entirely relieved from strain other than in a lateral direction, regardless of the weight or the impact of force by the rolling stock delivered to the joint.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the invention is more fully understood, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which there is illustrated a simple and satisfactory reduction of the improvement to practice.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating two rails constructed and connected in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a central transverse sectional View through the joint,

Specification of Letters Patent.

extending ends having its side- Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed July 215, 1914. Serial N o. 853,081.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends, Fig. 5 is a similar View of the second or coacting rail end, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the anti-frictional rollers.

1t is to be understood that while, in the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the ends of two co-acting rails and will refer to the same in detail in the accompanying specification, each of the rails constructed in accordance with my improvement hasits opposite ends formed as illustrated by the two separate rails.

The rails 1 and 2 respectively have their body portions of the ordinaryV construction, each including a head 3, base iiange 4C and connecting web 5. Each of the rails has its ends enlarged vor thickened, as indicated by the numerals 6 and 7 respectively, the enlargement 6 being formed upon the inner face or side of the rail 1, while the enlargement 7 is formed with the outer side or face of the rail 2,*the enlarged or thickened portions being formed with the webs of the rails and terminating in vertically straight Y walls which extend from the lower corners of the heads of the of the said rails.

The end 6 of the rail l is cut longitudinally providing the outer face of the said end with a groove or depression 8 formed rails to the base iianges v in the web of the rail between the head and the base iiange thereof, and the upper and lower walls of the said depression or Vgroove are beveled or inclined outwardly in opposite directions, as indicated by the numerals 9 and l0, the beveled wall 9 terminating with a vertically straight outer face 11, of

the outer side of thehead of the rail 1, ai

distanceequaling the width of the face 12, the angular walls 9 and 10 extending each an equal distance from the inner wall of the groove or recess 8. The transverse end wall provided by the longitudinal cut is vertically Straight, and the portions of the base providing the walls 10 and 11 arepreferably of a greater width or thickness than at any other portion of the said base, to add to the strength and rigidity of the rail end at this part thereof.

The rail 2 has its inner face cut longitudinally from its end providing the inner face of its head with a vertically straight surface 14 which is adapted to engage with the surface 11 of the head of the rail 1, when the rail ends are assembled. The said inner cut face of the rail 2, at the web portion of the said rail is provided with an outwardly projecting portion providing a tongue 15, which is adapted to be received within the groove 8 of the rail 1. rlhe upper face, 16, of the tongue is angular to engage with the angular wall 9, and likewise the outer portion of the lower face is also angular, as indicated by the numeral 17 and this face is adapted to be seated on the angular wall 10 of the pocket. r1`he tongue 15 does not project beyond the vertically straight wall or surface 1li of the head of the rail 2 a distance equaling the depth of the pocket 8, so that when the said tongue is received within the groove 8 its face 15 will not Contact with the inner face of the said pocket 8, the reason for which will presently be set forth. The angular wall 17 connects with the horizontally straight wall 18 which is adapted to be arranged upon the horizontally straight surface 12 on the base of the rail 1, and the said wall 18 terminates in a vertically straight wall 19 provided by the base flange of the rail 2, the said wall 19 abutting with the wall 13 of the rail 1, when the rail ends are assembled.

The inner face of the tongue 15 is provided with vertical depressions 20, the same being suitably spaced and having their surfaces round. rlChe depressions are arranged between a plurality of round transverse bolt holes 21, and the said depressions are adapted to receive anti-friction rollers 22 which frictionally contact with the inner wall of the pocket 8 when the tongue is arranged within the pocket. The enlarged end 6 of the rail 1 is provided with elongated bolt openings 23 which register with the bolt holes 21 in the rail 2, and passing through the said openings are bolts 2/-1 provided with the usual locking or retaining nuts 25.

From the above description it will be noted that the tongue 15 is firmly supported upon the walls provided by the groove as Well as the wall 12 provided on the base of the rail 1, so that the bolts 24 are entirely relieved from strain, and also whereby a simple, but strong and thoroughly effective y joint is provided between the rails, the said rails at the joint being rendered of a strength in excess to that at any other portion of the rails, and also the anti-friction rollers permit of the free expansion and contraction of the rails at the joint.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. 1n a rail joint, two rails cut longitudinally from their ends, one of the said cut ends being formed with a longitudinally arranged tongue, the second rail end having a longitudinal groove to receive the tongue, anti-friction members arranged between the tongue and groove and engaging with the faces thereof, and securing means arranged at the opposite sides of the anti-friction members.

2. ln a device of the class described, two rails each having a thickened end, and each of the said ends cut longitudinally upon one of its sides, one of the said ends having a longitudinal groove, the upper and lower walls of which being beveled, the second cut end having a tongue to be received within the groove and the said tongue having its upper and lower walls beveled, the groove being of a greater depth than the thickness of the tongue, anti-friction rollers carried by the tongue and contacting with the inner wall of the groove, and transverse secur ing members for the rail ends.

3. ln a device of the class described, two rails having thickened ends, each of the said ends being cut longitudinally upon one of the faces of the rails, one of the said faces being formed with a longitudinally extending groove arranged between its head and base flange and having its upper and lower walls beveled, the said lower wall communicating with a horizontally straight wall formed with the base of the rail, the second rail end having its inner face formed with a longitudinal tongue which extends from its head and base, the upper and lower walls of the said tongue being beveled to co-act with the beveled walls of the groove, the lower beveled wall communicating with the horizontally straight wall arranged at the edge of the cut portion of thebase to receive the horizontally straight wall of the base extension of the first mentioned rail, antifriction rollers arranged in vertical recesses in the face of the tongue and contacting with the -inner wall of the groove, one of the said rail ends having round openings, the second rail end having elongated registering openings, bolts passing through the openings, and nuts for the b olts.

1n testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC N. DIMM.

Witnesses EARL BooK, ADAM B. HECKERMAN.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

